Explosive.



CLIFFORD A. WOODBURY, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXPLOSIVE.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, CLIFFORD A. lVooo- BURY, of Chester, in the county ofDelaware, and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improve- I ment in Explosives, and do hereby declare ,tive as to be impracticable.

that the following is a" full, clear, and exact description thereof. 1

My invention relates particularly to the production of explosives and especially nitroglycerin explosives, which solidify only with difiiculty and at very low temperatures and which have a low freezing point.

Nitroglyceri'n explosives as previously made freeze at a'comparatively high temperature. They even freeze at a temperature above the freezing point of water. It therefore becomes necessary in using such explosives during a large part of the year to store the same in heated buildings and to use great care to keep them warm until they are loaded into the bore holes. Even then, it often happens that these explosives become frozen by contact with the cold walls of the bore holes. If the explosive should become frozen, many disadvantages result. There is always a loss of efliciency by the use of such explosives when frozen, inasmuch as they only detonate partially and frequently leave unexploded sticks of the explosive scattered through the rocks after the explosion. Attempts havebeen made in the past to produce low freezing explosives, but these have been only partially successful, either owing to the fact that the powder would still freeze too easily to offer any advantage over the grades of dynamite previously used or owing to the fact that the change in the constitution of the composition of the explosive rendered the explosive so insensi- Most of the low freezing explosives made up to the present time have depended for their alleged low freezing quality upon the presence of one or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed January 14. 1914. Serial No.-811,938.

I have discovered that a low freezing ex plosive can be produced that is far superior to any previously known by using as" the base of the explosive a solution of a nitrated sugar in nitroglycerin to whiehhas been added an organic nitro compound. I have discovered that the explosives made in this manner resist freezing to a remarkable extent, due to the fact that the mixture has a very low freezing point and due to the fact that the mixture because of certain physical properties remains liquid even when kept for long periods of time at temperatures far below its actual melting point. For example, a mixture of this kind which has an actual melting point of 30 F. will remain unfrozen for days or even weeks at temperatures as low as 0 to 10 F. These mixtures may be produced in many different ways but for the purpose of illustration I will describe certain ways in which they may be obtained The mixing of these explosives may be accomplished in the same manner as the mixing of ordinary dynamite. The nitrated sugar and the, organic nitro compounds may either be dissolved in, the nitroglycerin before the latter is added to the remaining ingredients of the explosive, or trey may be added to the other ingredients at the same time that the nitroglycerin is added. The remaining ingredients are such as are ordinarily used in the production of nitroglycerin dynamite, such for example as sodium or potassium nitrate. wood meal,

etc. As one illustrative formula of such a composition I give the following Nitroglycerin 30% Nitrated rane sugar 4% Trinitrotoluene 1 Sodium nitrate 4217a \Vood meal 13% Chalk 1 it Total 100% make low-freezing gelatin powders of ex-' cellent quality. As an example of one of these low-freezing gelatin powders I cite the following formula 1-- Nitroglycerin 30% Nitrated cane sugar 4% 'Trinitrotoluene-; 10% Nitrocotton 1% Sodium nitrate 41% Wood meal, 13% Chalk 1% Total. -L 10070 Low freez ing gelatin poivders of excellent quality may be made by adding to a mixture of nitroglycerin, nitrated sugar and a intro compound, a proper quantity of nitrocotton.

that many changes may lVhile I have described my invention above in detail, I wish it to be understood be made therein Without departmgfrom the spirit ofmy inv vention.

' derivative of a hydrocarbon.

7. An explosive containingnitroglycerin, nitro-cotton, a nitrated sugar and a nitro derivative of-an aromatic hydrocarbon.

8. An explosive containing nitroglycerin, nitro-cotton, a nitrated sugar and a nitrotoluene.

9. An explosive containing nitroglycerin,

nitro-cotton, a nitrated sugar and trinitrotoluene.

10. An explosive containing nitroglycerin,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for nitrated cane sugar and :1 nitro derivative of a hydrocarbon. 1

11. An explosive containing nitroglycerin,

nitrated cane sugar and anitro derivative of an aromatic hydrocarbon.

12. An explosive containing nitroglycerin,

nitratedcane sugar, a nitro derivative of a hydrocarbon and another nitrated carbohydrate.

13. An explosive containing nitroglycerin,

nitrated cane sugar and a nitrotoluene. v, 11. An explosive containing nitroglycerin, nitrated cane sugar and trinitrotoluene.

15. An explosive containing nitroglycerin,

nitro-cotton, nitrated cane sugar and a nitro derivative of a hydrocarbon.

16. An explosive containing nitroglycerin,

nitro-cotton, nitrated cane sugar and a nitro derivative of an aromatic hydrocarbon.-

17. An explosive containing nitroglycerin, a nitrate'd sugar, a nitro derivative of an aromatic hydrocarbon, an oxygen-bearing salt and wood meal. 1 I

18. .-An explosive containing nitroglycerin, a nitrated sugar, trinitrotoluene, sodium nitrate and wood meal. Y I 19. An explosive containing nitroglycerin, a nitrated sugar, a nitro derivative of an aromatic hydrocarbon, an oxygen-bearing salt and a combustible absorbent;

20. An explosive containing nitroglycerin,

a nitrated sugar,"trinitrotoluene, sodium m- I trate and, 'a-Icombustible absorbent.

21., An explosive containing nitroglycerin, initro cotton, a nitratedisugar, a nitro deiivative of an aromatic hydrocarbon, an oxygen-bearing salt and a combustible absorbent.

22. An explosive containing nitroglycerin, nitro-cotton, a. nitrated sugar, uene, sodium nitrate and a combustible absorbent.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

CLIFFORD A. WQODBURY.'

W'itnesses ANNE GRAY TAYLOR, INEZ EARLE \VOO BURY.

five cents each, lay-addressing the Commissioner of 1mm.

Washington, D. O.

trinitrotol- 

